Pinkam Lee
Pinkam Trenford Lee was a Kymurian lawyer, soldier, and diplomat. Born to a wealthy family in Saffira City, Lee was involved in a number of public scandals, most notably the killing of his wife's lover, Philip Keya. He was acquitted after using temporary insanity as a legal defense for the first time in Kymurian history. This became a defense associated with 'crimes of passion'. Upon the outbreak of the Great Panguillan War, Lee became one of the war's most prominent political generals, recruiting the Quayside & District regiments that became known as the Excelsior Brigade in the Army of the Southern Interior. Despite his lack of military experience, he served as a brigade, division, and corps commander in some of the early eastern campaigns. His military career ended after the disastrous Jungle Campaign, after he moved his new 1st Imperial Army (without orders) to an untenable position where it was virtually destroyed. He was wounded by cannon fire and had to have his leg amputated. Early Life Lee was born in Saffira City in 989KF. Originally a printer, he later studied law and was admitted to the Justice Register. In 1029KF, Lee shot Philip Keya, in front of several witnesses. During his trial Lee claimed Keya was having an affair with his wife. Lee became the first person in Kymurian history to be acquitted after pleading temporary insanity. Military Career By the outbreak of the war, Lee had met Empress Theodora on many occasions, and had even received invitations to dine with her personally several times. She was fascinated by his many (false) stories of adventures to foreign countries and wide world views. She granted him a recruitment commission four months after the war broke out to raise recruits for the Army of the Southern Interior under Baron-General Pytyr Barnninford, the army was not a front-line force however, and Lee soon grew bored. He met with the Empress and once again charmed her into granting him command of a division of soldiers in the Army of the Olsra River. His command style, while successful, was blunt, often utilising costly frontal assaults rather than more advanced tactical plans. Later that year Empress Theodora began to champion a war against the Southern Kymurian Lands (Gonxalen Dynasty) due to fear that they may allow Zeorin military access. Lee, sensing opportunity for fame, charmed the Empress into granting him command of the New, untested 1st Imperial Army. The front was overseen by Baron-General Barnninford, who had grown to dislike Lee personally, as did Lee with Barnninford. Due to the fact that the 1st IA was not properly equipped to fight in the vast bamboo jungles of the central SKL, Lee was ordered to move his army down the wide, mostly undefended Xihian Road that ran along the northern-facing coast of the SKL, then fight a siege for Hokasa City. However, this route was slow and would have taken several months to travel. Instead, Lee marched his army down the unmapped and overgrown Giphan Nam (Path of Death). According to one of his staff officers, Major Carron Davor, "After four days of marching, the path grew so overrun with shoots that barely one man could fit through it, and our men spent most of their marching days sat on the ground, smoking, talking and eating rations, since the vanguard of the Army was forced to literally cut a path through the forest with their bayonets." Realising that the Kymurians had (will finish)